Ore-Concentrator



(No Model.) 2 shets--shleet 1.

. A. D. CLARKE.

Y ORE GONCENTRATOR. No. 276,775. Patanted May 1,1883.

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(No Model.)

2Sheets-Slheet 2. A D. CLARKE.

ORE GONGBNTRATOR.

Patented lMay 1, 1883.

WITNESSES :i

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ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER D. CLARKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ORE-CONCENTRATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,775, dated May 1, 1883.

Application med January 13, less.` (No model.)

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, ALEXANDER D. CLARKE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Ore-Con` centrator, of which the following is a" l'ull, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved device for concentrating` orc in placer-mining by washing oft' and removing the particles of sand, 85o.

The invention consists in an ore-concentrator constructed with a screen upon which the sand containing the ore is conducted, a series of settling-boxes into which the water passes after having passed through the said screen, and a iiume arranged below the said screen, into which iunie the water is conducted after having passed through the settling-boxes.

The invention also consists in various parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described and claimed.

Reference isto be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of my improved oreconcentrator for placer-mining. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal sectional elevation of the samev on the line no no, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevationof the same on the lineyy, Fig. l. Fig.4is alongitudinal'sectional elevation of part of the same on the line z e,`Fig. 1.

An endless-belt screen, A, composed of a series of perforated plates o`r wire-netting sections hinged to each other, is passed over two polygonal rollersor drums, B B, pivoted in two walls, C C, between which the endless-belt screen is located. The rollers are so arranged that the endless-belt screen will be slightly inclined from its rear toward its front end, as shown inf Fig. 2. An apron, D, is arranged between the two layers of the endless-belt screen, and is about parallel with the same-.-` that is, it is inclined from the rear toward the frontend, which front end rests upon a trans'- verse gutter, E, resting on or projecting over the adjoining sides of two boxes, F, at the sides of, parallel with, and below the endlessbelt screen A. Between the two boxes F F aiiume, G, is arranged, which is inclined from the` rear toward the Ifront end, and is below the endless-belt screen. The boxes F are provided in the bottoms of their front lends withlongitudinal openings or slots a, which can be closed by vertically'movable gates H, and at the bottoms of the front ends of the said boxes spouts E project, as shown. The bottom J of` each box F is inclined upward at an angle of about twenty degrees from the front end toward the rear end of the box. Each box is provided on the inner surface of its sides, at the upper ends, with inwardly-projecting anges or brackets F', for supportipg a screen, K, made of perforated metal plates, wire-netting, or other suitable material. Behind each box F a box, L, of the same height and width, is formed, which is provided on the inner surfaces of its sides, at the top of the same, with inwardly projecting anges or brackets K', for supportin gamalgamated plates M M,which are inclined about the same as the bottoms J of the boxes F. An amalgamated plate, M, also rests on the upper end of the inclined bottom J, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The rear ends ofthe boxes L are connected by a large transverse box, N, from the front of which the ilume G extends to the front end of the entire apparatus, as shown in Fig.` 2. Gages O, made of rods, bars, or slats, or other suitable material, are arranged and held transversely in the rear ends of theboxes L,andl

are filled with sage-brush, grass, bushes, hay, or other material, through which water can filter. Like cages, O', iilled in like manner, extend diagonally from the rear ends ofthe boxes L to the corners of the transverse end box, N, as shown in Fig. 1. Vertical guides b are attached on the inner surfaces ofthe front and rear walls ofthe transverse end box, N, which guides are arranged on each side of the rear end ofthe s1uice-or flume Gr, and are the other of the boxes arranged at the sides ot' the flume. Water-pipes Parranged at each l adapted to receive Vertical gates for cutting off `the communication ot' the flume with one or loo sides of the boxes L and F to the front ends of the boxes, and have their ends 1? bent rectangnlarly to extend across the front ends of the boxes F, which ends P of the pipes are perforated. The pipes P are arranged at about half the height of the boxes L and F. A steep chute, Q, extends from the front end of the endless-belt screen A down into the front end of the flume G. A sliding gate, It, which is of the width of the transverse gutter E, rests in the same, and is inclined upward from both ends toward the middle, so that it will be double-wedge-shaped. The water containing the sand, gold, 85o., is conducted upon the endless-belt screen A by a iiume, S, which can be adjusted to have its lower end a greater or less distance from the front end ot the upper layer of the endless-belt screen. Instead of using a movable endlessbelt screen, a fixed screen can be used. If the movable endlessbelt screen is used, some suitable motor must be provided for rotating the rear drum, B, in such a manner that the belt can move inthe direction ofthe arrow a', as shown in Fig. 2.

3 5 justed to have its lower end at the rear end of the screen A, so that the sand, &c., may remain a longer time on the screen; but if the water contains but very little sand or gravel the lower end ot' the chute must be adjusted to be near the front end -ot' the screen. The water rushing through the chute S carries the sand and gravel toward the lower or front end of the screen, where the same accumulates when the stationary screen is used, and is drawn or shoveled into the chute Q. 1f an endless-belt screen is used, as shown, the movement of the belt-screen carries the sand and gravel remaining on the same toward the lower end of the screen and dumps it into the chute Q. The larger particles of sand, Src., remain on the screen, and the liner particles are washed through the same upon the apron D, and are washed by the water, which also passes through the screen upon the said apron into the transverse gutter E. Accordingly, as the water is to be conducted from' the gutter E into the box F on one side or the other of the screen, the sliding gate R is pushed to one end or the other of the said gutter E. As shown in Fig.

3, the water is to be conducted from the gutter E into the right-hand box F, and for this purpose the wedge-shaped gate R is moved to the left-hand end of the gutter E, so that the water and sand dropping from the end of the apron Dis deiiected and guided toward the right by the right-hand inclined side otl the wedge-shaped gate R. By moving the adbeing open on that side, into the box N,

thence into the flume G, and thence out of the apparatus. 1n this passage of the water most ot' the heavy particles of ore and gold will drop uponthe inclined door J and slide down the same to the front end of the box. Some of the particles of gold, Svc., carried by the current will be caught on the am algamated plates M as the AWater passes over the same. As the water passes over the box L part of the gold, ore, &c., is caught by the sage-brush or other material in the cages 0 O. A gate, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, is placed between the guides b b of the box N on each side of the iiume to prevent the water in the box on one side from passinginto the box on the other. As the water accumulates in the box N and cannot pass into the boxes L, it rises in the said box and iiows down through the flume G, and washes out the tailings, Src., which have been dumped from the screen upon the chute Q. The gate H is slightly raised to permit the water to pass through the openings or slots a and to wash out the gold, Src., which has collected in the bottom of the box F. This gold is washed upon the spout H', and is washed from the same by the water issuing from the pipes l? upon amalgamated plates d, as shown in Fig. 1, placed in front of the spout, to which plates the gold, &c., adheres. After the sage-brush or other material in the cages 0 0' has been in the cages for a certain time it is removed and burned in a suitable receptacle, and the ashes are reiined'for thev purpose of regaining the gold aceumulatedin the said sage-brusb,&c. Part of the gold settles and collects onthe bottoms of the boxes, and can be removed at suitable intervals. In the manner described above the water can be conducted into Vthe boxes F and L on either side ofthe screen. The water rushing through the flume G always removes the tailings, whereby great labor is saved. The apparatus is so constructed that almost the entire operation is automatic, and but very little attendance is required.

The above-described apparatus is especially adapted to placer-mining; but can 'be used for concentrating any crushed or pulverized ore.

A portion of the sand and fine worthless particles will settle in the boxes L N, and a part will be carried out of the apparatus through the flume G and the slots a inthe boxes F.

IIO

Having thus described my invention, what I l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An oreconcentrator constructed with a screen upon which the sand containing the ore is conducted, a series of settling-boxes into which the water passes after having passed through the said screen, and a flume arranged below the said screen, into which flume the wa ter is conducted after having passed through the said settling-boxes, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set l'orth.

2. An ore-concentrator, consisting of a screen for the sand, Ste., containing the ore, a chute for tailings at'the lower or front end of said screen, settling-boxes, and a fiume arranged below said screen, the front end of which ume is connected with the front end of the screen, by said chute, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an ore concentrator, the combination, with a screen upon which the sand containing the gold, Snc., is conducted, of an apron below the said screen, a transverse gutter at the lower end ot' the apron, settling-boxes at each side of and below the screen, and a flume through which the'water passes after having passed from the screen and gutter into the settling-boxes and after leaving the said settling-boxes, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an ore-concentrator, the combination, with a screen upon which the sand containing the gold, Sac., is conducted, of an apron below it, a transverse glitter at the lower end of the apron, settling boxes at each side of the screen, and of a sliding gate in the said gutter for conducting the water passing into the gutter from the apron out at either end of the gutter and into the settling-boxes at one side or the other of the screen, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. In an ore-concentrator, the combination, with a screen upon which the sand containing the gold, &c., is conducted, an apron below the screen, and a transverse gutter at the lower end ot the apron, of settling-boxes on each side of the screen, and of screens, amalgainated plates, and filter-cages in the said settling-boxes, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. In an orelconcentrator, the combination,

. and for the purpose set forth.

7. In an ore-concentrator, the combination, with a screen upon which the sand containing the gold, Snc., is conducted, ofthe box F, having its bottom inclined upward from the front toward the rear end, the box L, the transverse box N, and the cages O O', containing sagebrush, grass, or other analogous filtering material, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

S. In an ore-concentrator, the combination, with a screen upon which the sand containing the gold, 85e., is delivered, of the box F, having its bottom inclined upward from the front toward the rear, the box L, the box N, the gate H at the front end of the box F, and the pipe I?, extending from the box N to the front end ofthe box F, and having its front end, P', bent l across the iront end of the box F, the said end P of the pipe I? being perforated, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

9. In an ore-concentrator, the combination, with a screen upon which the sand lcontaining the gold, &c., is delivered, of settling-boxes at the side of the screen, atlume arranged below the screen and adapted to receive the water that has passed through the settlin g-boxes, and ot' the pipes P, extending from the rear end of the flumeto the front end of the settling-boxes and across the ends ofthe same, which transverse parts ofthe pipes are perforated, substantially as herein shown and described, and for `the purpose set forth.

l0. In an ore-concentrator, the combination,

with the polygonal drums or rollers B B, of

the endless screen belt A, the apron D, between the top and bottom layers of the screen, the transverse gutter C, and a series of settling boxes, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

ALEXANDER D. CLARKE. Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, C. SEDGWIGK. 

